A first visit to the new Reuben’s Brews

The new Reuben’s Brews opens this Saturday at noon. I got in for a sneak peek and snapped a few photos so you’ll know what to expect. Adam and Thor were busily working inside. The construction crew was outside, assembling the decks. Final touches coming together, the new spot is very close to being ready for Saturday.

In January, Reuben’s Brews announced that it had secured a space for the new, bigger brewery and taproom (read it). Then, in March, the brewery announced that it had hired Dean Mochizuki to be the new Head Experimental Brewer (read it). And now…. the opening of the new brewery and taproom this Saturday. See the official press release below, or just look at the pretty pictures.

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It’s the same, only different. If you walk to Reuben’s Brews, it won’t be any farther. If you drive, you’ll probably park in the same place. But that’s where the similarity ends. Beyond the address, the only thing that the new location really has in common with the old location is the great beer.

Located just two blocks down the street from the old location—two blocks south on 14th Ave. NW—the new brewery and taproom is big compared to the old location. Big? In comparison, it is palatial, sprawling, and cavernous. Suffice it to say, the cold room (walk-in fridge) is literally bigger than the entire old brewery & taproom.

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That’s not to say that there will not be a line for beer during peak hours, or that a seat will no longer be a highly coveted prize. We’ll have to wait and see. Ballard loves it some Reuben’s Brews, after all. But there is a lot more space, there’s a bigger bar to handle more service, and there are a lot more seats. And, perhaps most important, there’s a big new brewhouse capable of making a lot more beer.

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The wood for the bar and other table space is all reclaimed from an old bar. There are 24 taps. The CO2 pressure regulators are exposed, so they can be easily seen and easily adjusted when needed. There will eventually be a 10-foot projection screen TV for viewing the big games.

Back in the brewery, which is fully visible from taproom, the new, bigger brewhouse is a 15-barrel system feeding 30-barrel fermenters.

SEATTLE, Wash. (May 5, 2015) The wait is finally over. The taproom that RateBeer named 2014 Best Taproom in Washington is getting even better…and bigger!

At noon on Saturday, May 9, Reuben’s Brews will open the doors to its new, larger brewery and taproom at 5010 14th Ave NW! The celebration will include special beers from the cellar, complimentary Reuben’s Brews bottle openers for the first 100 people, brewery tours and more. The Burgerphenia food truck will be onsite as well.

“We’re really excited to show people the new brewery!” said Adam Robbings, co-founder and head brewer of Reuben’s Brews. “We’ve aimed to make the new taproom really comfortable but still open to the wonders of the brewing space. We are excited to brew more styles, add to our line-up with sours and lagers, and expand our barrel-aging program.”

The 4,000 square-foot space, located at 5010 14th Avenue NW, is only two blocks south of the existing brewery and will feature a 15-barrel brewhouse, 30-barrel fermenters and a larger taproom with 24 taps, an outside deck, more seating, and a 10-foot video screen for showing Sounders and Seahawks games and other major sports events. Beer fans will also be able to enjoy Reuben’s seven days a week! The new taproom will be open Monday – Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Thursday – Sunday from noon to 9 p.m.

When Adam, wife Grace and brother-in-law Mike Pfeiffer opened Reuben’s Brews in August 2012, they had five of their beers available in the taproom. Since then Reuben’s has regularly had 12 of their own beers on tap. They quickly became a well-respected brewery and have won more awards for their beers than any other brewery in Washington since opening their doors.

“Keeping our existing brewery as a pilot brewery and barrel house was key to us continuing to be able to brew a wide variety of beers,” said Robbings. “We already have bourbon, whiskey and tequila barrels on their way and sherry and red wine puncheons are ready to start our sour program. We are also really excited to also expand our distribution as at last we have beer for existing and new customers.”

Saturday, May 9 will mark a major milestone for Reuben’s. Since opening in August 2012, they reached brewing capacity within six months and started searching for expansion spaces exactly two years ago – in May 2013. After a long, difficult search for a suitable space they signed their lease for the new brewery in August 2014, having ordered their new brewhouse four months earlier. In January 2015 they signed with Click Wholesale Distribution in anticipation of the new brewery coming online to help make their brews more widely available.

The existing taproom will continue to operate on its regular schedule through March 8. Additional information and photos of the construction can be found on the Reuben’s Brews Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.